EMERGENCY SERVICES LEVY —
REFERRAL AND GRANTS ADVISORY COMMITTEE
1006. Hon COLIN de GRUSSA to the minister representing the
Minister for Emergency Services:
I refer to the ABC news story on
Sunday, 15 September, which stated that the minister would be forming an
independent committee to oversee spending of the emergency services levy.
(1) Why is it necessary for an
independent committee to oversee this spending?
(2) Can the minister
please table the terms of reference for the committee and advise the date of
formation and the membership of the committee?
(3) What will be the total cost of
the committee and where will the funding come from?
Hon
ALANNA CLOHESY replied:
On behalf of the Minister for
Environment, I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. The
Minister for Emergency Services has provided the following answer.
(1) An
independent ESL referral and grants advisory committee will be established and
resourced under ministerial direction and will assess appeals that may arise
from the local government grants committees, be an independent source of ESL
and grants-related advice to the minister, and monitor the collection and
expenditure patterns of the ESL. This is in line with the recommendations of
the Economic Regulation Authority's review of the ESL.
(2)–(3) The
committee is in its final stages of establishment and will be in place for the
next budget process. Information on the date of formation, membership and total
cost cannot be provided at this time. The funding source is yet to be
established.